Trouble with the double

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What is it with children and sleep? Why do they often refused to go to sleep?
You ask, ‘are you tired?’ the reply always a firm ‘no!’.

Bedtime can resemble a 15 round WBC heavyweight boxing match. They put up such a fight so as to go the distance, when all you want is a quick, clean 1st round knockout!
A Similar scenario ensues in the afternoon. Unless she’s being pushed in the pram or driven in the car, Rose fights her tiredness till the very end. Theo hasn’t yet entered into this contest but perhaps he will once he makes the weight.

Tiredness becomes such that it makes both children a little crazy. You can almost picture them pulling out clumps of hair and foaming at the mouth. And to add to their craziness, just before falling asleep they become like Popeye after eating his spinach. Full on hyper, running around letting off the very last bit of steam before they succumb.

This issue has crept up on us like a mime artist with stealth and now is driving us to distraction.

I’m considering taking away Rose’s afternoon nap, but this time is so valuable to Theo and I. It gives us a little respite and one on one.
One of the reasons I’ve not been super strict in the evenings is that if I put them down too early they won’t see their mum when she returns from work.

Given the chance I could sleep for 3 days straight (after a load of gigs and heavy pre children partying and once slept for 48 hrs straight), so why is it that young children fight it?

Babies generally love the sleep, like cats purring day and night in their nest of content.
Toddlers fight it but teenagers love it.

The teenage sleep pattern generally lasts until you get a proper job. Then you become a parent and a good nights sleep is a mere dream.

This wee problem is nothing a few teary nights of strict routine won’t solve. Rose has just gone to stay with her grandparents for a few days, it will be interesting to see how things go.

But the question remains, why do toddlers often have a crazy battle against their tiredness?

I’ve even heard of people giving their toddlers sleeping tablets. This is obviously absolutely crazy and no sane person would resort to such a stupid act. But the fact that people do tells me what a drastic issue this can be.

6 thoughts on “Sleeping Problems”

Hey, interesting post. I think sleep can be scarier than we realize. But I hear you, I so desperately want them to get to sleep just so I can my sanity back.
By the way, finally responded to your questions to the Liebster Blob award nomination. Let me know what you think and thanks again for the recognizing me. It’s really appreciated.

Our 3 year old son is getting to the point where he doesn’t take an afternoon nap very often. Soon he won’t take one at all. Problem is that I still need that nap myself! Let’s lie down, Dada’s tired!
No! Let’s run around outside! he says. Oh boy, I’m not going to make it to the end of the day!

The only thing I can compare having kids to is that feeling of staying up all night clubbing then trying to actually function in the real world the next day. (same buzzy sound seems to fill my head as well – funny that). Expect with kids, it’s like that every night! My youngest has just turned 3 and is still an awful sleeper (as is her 7 year old sister). Nothing quite prepare you for kids. Roll of the teenage days of them staying out all night like their mother so I can actually get some sleep!

So true. My twins are the same! You can see the tiredness and exhaustion in their eyes and demeanor, but as soon as I ask if they are tired, they fire back with a resounding ‘No’! It is as if they need to fight it with all their might otherwise they might be deemed to be uncool or something. Don’t understand it – never will.